I can't believe it, there is efficiency in India outside of Bangalore.

I've been in India 1.5 months now and I have gotten used to things taking a while to get done. Train tickets, bus tickets, whatever. So the prospect of getting to Chennai, getting a hotel, changing Ant's flight, AND buying tickets for the train tomorrow night to Alleppey had me stressed out this AM. Little did I know I would find in Chennai the type of speed and efficiency in service (AND WITH A SMILE!!) that would get all this done.

I am still in shock at the ease and perfection of the day. Ok, no. It wasn't perfect. As we crossed a major road on the way to Citibank, I look over and Ant is gone. I look again and a bunch of Indians are helping him out of the way of oncoming traffic. In his brilliance he had scampered across the road a bit late, his Teva caught on something and a motorbike almost killed him. I nearly had a heart attack. The road was huge and there was major MAJOR traffic (Dusty, not even venomous snakes could have gotten you across). I generally don't get phased by major traffic, but seriously this was heavy traffic. Finally when I got over to him, he was slightly bruised up on his palms, and I proceeded to beat the crap out of him (good natured of course) for giving me a panic attack.

Other than that, the day was great. Ant won his argument with our driver from Mahanalpuram (my first time hearing Ant yell, EVER), our hotel manager at our new place witnessed it and decided not to provoke him further and offered us a very fair price for a decent room. We wandered around a bit, found the Cathay Pacific office where a VERY competant and helpful woman fixed Ant up with a new ticket for the 27th of Nov, with no problem or delay.

In celebration, we hit the Spencer Mall. After dragging Ant out of the pen (kicking and screaming) store, we had some coffee at a swanky coffee joint where I was respectfully hit on by Abdul as soon as Ant walked away. Which brings me to another reason I like Chennai. I have not been leered at once that I have noticed. If someone did, they kept it to themselves. Everyone we have met, from ticket agents to rickshaw drivers to servers in eateries have been genuinely friendly. Little kids have been screaming and fighting to shake our hands and don't beg for pens/chocolate. School girls in particular like Ant and giggle at him ALL THE TIME.

So after the mall, we expected a fight with the rickshaw driver over a price to the railway station. Nope, he gave us a fair price. We found the "Tourist Cell" where foreigners are alleviated from the torture of waiting in line for tickets and bought our train tickets in 10 minutes flat. I walked out in shock.

Tomorrow I am going to go in search of a sari so we will see if I feel the same way tomorrow about shopkeepers. :) This city just seems to have a lot going for it and it seems like a very livable place. I just wish I had more time to spend here even though there is not much for the tourist to see.